The submission period is now officially open for program proposals pertaining to the International Reading Association’s 58th Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, April 19-22, 2013. All interested persons should go to https://www.aievolution.com/ira1301/ to create a profile and submit their proposals via the submission site’s fielded format. The deadline for submitting proposals for the San Antonio Convention is August 6, 2012.
Important information concerning the one-appearance rule, and the exceptions thereto, is set forth on the submission site, as well as a proposal submission fact sheet and revised submission guidelines. The list of authorized session types includes:
- Institutes
- Research Poster Sessions
- Sessions / Spanish Sessions
- Symposia
- Workshops
Each of these formats includes specific requirements concerning purpose, duration, and presenters. Additional requirements have been established for Institutes. These pertain to registration limits, meeting room setup, and audio visual equipment.
Presentation Categories
All submitters must select a category for the peer review process. For the IRA 2013 Convention the established categories are as follows: Adolescent Literacy/YA Literature; Assessment; Children’s Literature; Common Core Standards; Early Childhood/Head Start; English Language Learners; International; Literacy Leadership; RtI; Struggling Learners; Technology; and Title I.
Review Criteria
Except for Research Poster Sessions, proposals will be assessed in light of four major criteria, namely applicability, effectiveness, differentiation, and ongoing learning.
Applicability means the extent to which the proposal demonstrates evidence that case studies or real-life examples will be used to illustrate the lessons learned.
Effectiveness means the extent to which the proposal demonstrates the content, strategy, or intervention (as described) has proven to raise achievement and/or improves teaching.
Differentiated means the extent to which the proposal demonstrates how this session will help teachers meet the needs of students who learn in different ways and who come from different socioeconomic environments.
Ongoing Learning means that the extent to which the proposal demonstrates that audience members will be able to connect learning from this session with local work assignments.
Research Poster Sessions
All proposals for Research Poster Sessions must be formatted as such. Each research poster session will include up to 16 individual posters grouped by category, and each will have a prominent researcher as a chair. Each presenter will be introduced and allowed a brief (one minute) introduction of his or her research. The audience will be invited to move between and among posters.
Research Poster Sessions are exempt from the one-appearance rule.
With respect to Research Poster Sessions, the evaluation criteria are as follows:
- Significance of the topic to the literacy/research evaluation
- Evidence base for the proposal acknowledges relevant learning theories
- Evidence base for the proposal is based on research that is recognized and acknowledged by the profession as high quality
- Quality of scholarship as judged within the research tradition
- Quality of the theoretical and conceptual rationale
- Clarity and coherence
- Overall quality
Notification of Acceptance
Notification of acceptance or non-acceptance of all submitted proposals will be sent via email in October/November 2012 (Pending).
Registration and Other Expenses
Expenses associated with the submission and presentation of a proposal are the responsibility of the presenter. Except for Institute presenters, all presenters are responsible for paying appropriate registration fees. IRA will also reimburse Institute organizers up to $350 for photocopying, mailing, and shipping costs of materials to the location of the institute.
Questions
Questions about submitting a proposal for presentation at IRA San Antonio can be forwarded by email to ConventionProposals@/. Questions related to the research poster sessions can be forwarded to research@/.